The Walkman Era and Digital Revolution (1979-1989)
On July 1, 1979, Sony launched a product that would revolutionize how people consume music: the Walkman. The TPS-L2, the first Walkman model, was initially met with skepticism from retailers who doubted consumers would want to listen to music while walking. However, the Walkman quickly became a global cultural phenomenon, selling over 200 million units in various formats over the next 30 years. It transformed music listening into a personal, portable experience and established Sony as a company that could create entirely new product categories.